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/wrestling /guests /Nieto |
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/wrestling /guests /Nieto |
| Guest Columns | Frank Nieto |
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THE NEW GENERATION Cheesy title, I know. I watched Road Wild last night. It was an average card that stayed on the positive side for most of the night. Nothing great, though Benoit's match with DDP was pretty good. Nothing really bad, even Savage's match with Rodman was better than expected. All that changed with the crappy main event. Not just the return of Hulkamania, but the return of the match by numbers routine. You know a guy needs to leave when you can call his match, not just vaguely, but exactly by what's going to happen and when. God I hate Hogan. The less said about that bald bastard the better. I'm moving on to a happier time, one where Hogan is no longer around to annoy me (and many of you). Hopefully this time is just around the corner. Yes, this is my take on the future stars of wrestling in the WWF, WCW and ECW. The criteria to qualify for a certain level - World title/main event or secondary title/upper mid-card - a guy had to be young and yet to achieve that level of success. Some men are put back in these roles after an extended leave from that level, a few men aren't really young, but haven't gotten that shot and can perform at that level. WCW: World Champions/main eventers: Buff Bagwell - A lot of people are really high on Bagwell, stating his charisma, look and work. I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, Bagwell's a talent and a main eventer, but World champ? That I'm not sold on, but he'll make a nice co-star in main events for sure. There's something about him that I don't buy as a company's centerpiece; too much HBK-lite without the substance to back it up. Chris Benoit - Everyone on the net's sold on Benoit, and I'm no exception. Bret Hart made money for the WWF as a main eventer for a few of his runs as champ, I think Benoit is more talented with more in ring charisma. Sure his mic skills are a little lacking, but they are improving, just look at the promo he gave after winning the US title. The guy's stiff work really seems to get crowds behind him. Considering his responses lately I'm thoroughly convinced the Crippler can be a main eventer in any organization in the world. Booker T - IMO the most surefire pick WCW has for a franchise of the future. Booker T's got the size, look and ability to be cast for that role. He delivers consistently strong matches and is one of their most over wrestlers despite being injured a lot the last few years and not getting much mic time. I can't believe WCW bookers don't look at Booker T and see dollar signs. Vampiro - Same could be said for Vampiro. No mic time whatsoever, no real build-up and the guy is just super-over right now. No real ego judging by the interview he did with Mike Samuda either is a huge plus. He also delivers really crisp, stiff work. Again this guy could be money, with the only real hold-up being Bischoff's short-sightedness. Tank Abbott - I've been a fan of Tank for years now. Whenever I saw his UFC work I kept saying he's got pro-wrestling ability, as did a lot of other fans I'm sure. His ability might not be much, but he could probably be just as good as Big Show, if not better. Tank's mic skills and charisma are already there and that's really the hardest thing for a wrestler to develop. A little older than most other prospects, but probably more of a sure thing than most. Could have a great early feud with Scott Norton. Those two chopping the shit out of each other would make for a good match. A guy that could work with big men or small men (hey, he got his ass kicked by Vitor Belfort in the UFC.) US Champions/upper mid-carders: Eddie Guerrero - Eddie's a great talent, but I don't see him as a main eventer. His mic skills are solid, but he never really gets a big response, same with his matches. I hope I'm wrong on this because I like Eddie, but I just don't see him as a top guy aside from an occasional TV main event in WCW. ECW, Mexico and Japan are completely different stories, as he could be a huge star in each. Perry Saturn - He's got real main event potential, but it could also backfire. Sort of like Rick Rude was; close to main event, but never really breaking through. More mic time and a better choice of opponents could move him up to the top, because he's got the look and the ability. Kanyon - His in-ring work is there and it seems like he has the charisma, but for whatever reason he's never gotten the response he's deserved. Bulking up a bit might help him out. It's a shame because if you could combine Lex Luger's body with Kanyon's skills you'd have a true superstar. Kidman - Reminds me of Bret Hart in a lot of ways, even though there styles are vastly different. Kidman seems to work the same spots into every match, like Bret does, but they do it so well you don't care that they're doing the match by numbers thing. Also his mic skills are a lot like Bret's; very understated, but get's the point across. Might have been hurt with WCW's stripping away his push from the beginning of the year when he was one of their most over stars. If he can get that response back he could move up to the top of the card, despite his lack of size. Dean Malenko - Dean was born twenty years too late. If he had been around at any time before the '80's he would've been a legend anywhere except for New York where you've always had to be at least 6'6" it seems to get over. Dean has a lot going for him - great work, ability to adapt to anyone's style, consistently great matches, but just as much against him - zero charisma or mic skills and lack of stature. The negatives will keep him buried in mid-card status. Wrath - A talented big man that has suffered a series of injuries of late, Wrath has the look and finisher of a star. Reminds me of Luger - great look and finisher, lacking in a lot of other ways. It seems like you wait his entire match for his finisher and that's it. Like Luger if he's booked with the right people he can deliver good matches, if not, well he won't carry the match and it could suck. Never given any signifiicant mic time. Might be too late for a shot at main events. WWF: World Champions/main eventers: Edge - WWF's own Booker T. Given no real mic time, but is really over. Skills are there, his spear is just sweet and he oozes charisma. I have a feeling that Edge has more of a chance to reach his full potential than Booker T does just based on who runs their respective shows. D'Lo Brown - I've always liked D'Lo, even when he rarely worked in the WWF. I remember popping huge when he was the one member of the NOD Faaroq didn't fire. A few monthes ago I didn't think D'Lo would get a fair chance in the WWF. It seemed like he was getting buried, but then a short feud with Mideon and Jeff Jarrett of all people turned things around. A run as the European and Intercontinental champ may be a sign of things in the future. Big Show - He'll get his shot at main events no matter what, but his gut and decreasing workrate may not keep him there. I used to like this guy, now he's in the Ernest Miller category of "I don't care about you and I'll switch the channel to anything else rather watch your sorry ass." The less said the better, because this guy sybolizes a lot that's unfair about wrestling - if you have size you'll always get a shot while those smaller and far more talented and charismatic are buried. Chris Jericho - I think I might have been one of three people that wasn't sold on Vince making Jericho a big star. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Jericholic like many others, but I had an uneasy feeling about how the WWF would book him when I heard he was to face Road Dogg at SummerSlam. It's safe to say after his confrontation with The Rock that he will be used properly and will most likely be not just a main eventer, but a legend. Chyna - I'm sold! That's my response after hearing her interview on Heat this week. Vince picked the wrong person from the HHH/Chyna union to main event! I know a lot of people, myself included scoffed at the notion of a female main eventing a PPV, much less holding the belt. But honestly the WWF had a no-talented pimp hold the IC belt and the owner's non-wrestling son the Euro title this year and who in the WWF could beat Chyna in a legit fight? Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman for sure. Maybe The Rock, Steve Austin, Big Show, Kane and The Undertaker, again maybe. Everyone else? Chyna could legit whip them. Heck, she even gets a bigger pop than most on the roster. Intercontinental Champions/upper mid-carders: Billy Gunn - The WWF's invested so much time and effort into Mr. Ass already that it's safe to say that, like Big Show, he'll get his run, in the upper mid-card at least. Compared to Wight, though Billy Gunn is Mitsuharu Misawa. I like this guy and thought he'd make a good main eventer a few monthes back. I predicted he'd win the KOTR, but when he did I realized he won't be a good main eventer. Mr. Ass just has no in-ring charisma and his in-ring work can't overcome that simple fact. Sure, he gets a great reaction when he comes out, but once the bell sounds you can practically see the fans lining up for the bathroom. It's funny because he probably signed his own death warrant by demanding to go solo from the NAO. I just got the new issue of Raw Magazine with DX on the cover, where inside is a really interesting article where each DX member is interviewed on the WWF's decision to split the group up. Every member say they thought it was too soon, except Gunn, yet he's the! one guy that has lost at least half his response. Just thought it was funny. X-Pac - I never saw much in Sean Waltman until a few months into his WCW run as Syxx. Syxx was a million times different than the 1-2-3 Kid and Lightning Kid. I could see the WWF moving him up to the top if an IC title run, which he definitely deserves, goes well. The only thing that could really ever hold him back are injuries, which you always have to be aware of with him. Hardcore Holly - I'm not a fan of Vince McMahon, but if you ever needed prove of his ability to work magic, look no further than Bob Holly. Vince took a guy that nobody cared about and that after about eight different attempts to get him over most other promoters would have given up on, and he got him over. Holly is easily one of the WWF's most interesting characters right now. He reminds me a lot of the next man on this list. Stevie Richards - Good to see Stevie back in one of the big three. Stevie is one of the most innovative mic workers around, really. How many other guys can you mention that have given comedic, hard-edged and heart-felt interviews at different times? Not many, really only Ric Flair comes to mind. A lot of times a guy's mic work overshadows his in-ring work, and that's usually because the guy sucks as a wrestler - see Ox Baker and Honky Tonk Man. In Stevie's case he's actually a good wrestler, it's just that he's so phenomanl on the mic you notice that more than his ring work. One note of caution with Stevie, his voice still doesn't sound 100% a year and half or so after his surgery, which might hold him back. ECW: World Champions/main eventers: Rob Van Dam - Actually RVD is really at the main event level, it's just a matter of formally putting the World title on him. What else can be said about Mr. PPV? IMO the most well-rounded wrestler around - looks, charisma, mic work, in-ring work. He might be the best all-around in the world right now juding by his work in the last year or so, which has gotten away from the spotfest it used to be. You want the wrestler of the year? Look no further than Rob Van Dam. Lance Storm - God this guy is great. I remember seeing a tape from Japan where he teamed with Yuji Yasuraoka and just being blown away by their work. Lance might just be the greatest wrestler from CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, and that's says a lot. He might actually be a better wrestler than Chris Jericho and he's closing in on him with his mic work. Lance has shown in the past year he can work any style he wants to at anytime. He looks so comfortable in the ring it makes me think he was raised there. Not if, but when he starts getting ECW PPV main events. Justin Credible - Same for him, though I'm not as high on ECW's other Impact Playa. Gotta give the guy credit though, went from being a guy with a jockstrap on his head in the WWF, to a third wheel in PG-13 to being a guy in ECW with a silly name and little booties (seriously look at the boots he wears) to being a big name in ECW. One of the few guys associated with the Kliq to not get a push in the WWF, he's earned his run in ECW. Steve Corino - No doubt Corino's taken a page or two from Stevie Richards' playbook, but what ECW fan didn't get tingles up their spines when he went on his Heatwave tangent on Tommy Dreamer? At one moment you want to strangle the little twerp, the next minute you're laughing your ass off at one of his lines. He hasn't really wrestled much in ECW, but supposedly he's pretty good. If he's just adequate he'll be a star. I think he can just bypass the tag team and TV title scene and move onto main events based on his work thus far on the mic. Chris Candido - I must confess I've been a Candido fan since his Smoky Mountain and WWF days. The thing I've always liked about Candido is the way he does that thing with his voice when he gets upset, it just cracks me up every time, same with the strut he does before getting in the ring. Like Stevie Richards, he backs his talking up with impressive wrestling work. Upon his return to ECW he should be a top player, especially with the best valet in wrestling, Tammy Lynn Sytch, at his side. A feud with RVD could be a real money maker. Steve Williams - I'm putting Dr. Death on this list because he could really fit in ECW. He had a short run there a few years back, but it was mostly tag team and six-man work. If built up the right way, ie, the way Paul E. brought in Sid, Dr. Death would get over huge. A feud with Taz would be obvious, but so would Sabu. Dr. Death still has the ability and could be a big weapon for ECW if he can get out of his WWF contract. Buddy Landel - I'm a believer in Landel, he's always done a great job wherever he went. He's older than most of the guys on this list and his days as a "future star" are over, but he's younger than most of WCW's main eventers like Hogan, Nash, Flair, Savage and just a little older than Goldberg and Sid. ECW would be a nice fit. I can see Steve Corino bringing Landel in as the man to end hardcore and have him teach the young kids about respect. Landel could be used like Mr. Wrestling II was in his last run in Mid-South or Bob Backlund's last WWF run - a crotchy old man, though Buddy's not as old as them. Landel's great on the mic and can still work. TV Champions/upper mid-carders: Jerry Lynn - Anybody that's seen Lynn's matches with Rob Van Dam knows it's just a matter of time before he's headlining, but I think it would be wise of ECW to put the TV title on Lynn once RVD wins the World title. Lynn and the TV title could really work symbiotically, with him keeping the belt's stature up, and the belt helping to get him super over. Super Crazy - I wasn't a big fan of Super Crazy, in fact he had become a punchline amongst my friends and I, but I won't get into that. I knew the guy was good, but I just didn't care about him. That is until this week with his little program with Simon Diamond. I think it was Paul E.'s intentions to get Diamond over, but it finally got Super Crazy over for me. The way he kept talking to Simon in Spanish was funny, especially when Diamond said, "Simon says speak English," and he mouthed off in Spanish, funny stuff. Crazy hasn't had a bad match in ECW yet, for me he finally has a personality. Nova - Speaking of this week's ECW TV, for those that saw it, how many moves did Nova debut in that match? Four, five? Each of them potential finishers. This guy's good. The only things holding him back right now is that he tends to wrestle just spotfests and his past as a comedy wrestler with the bWo and The Blue Meanie. His recent tag matches should change that, if he gets away from spotfests, he's yet another future superstar in ECW. Chris Chetti - Nova's tag partner has a bright future now that he has a character. The Ricky Martin shit is damn funny. If his character can remain fresh, unlike Al Snow's in his last days in ECW, all he'll need is continued seasoning to be a big player. Independents/Japan: For this section I'm just talking about guys that would probably be willing to wrestle in North America, so no mentions of Masato Tanaka, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki (I count IWGP and Triple Crown titles as World titles, so no mention of Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi, etc.) If they wanted to be over here they would be, because they've had offers and turned them down, in Tanaka's case walked out. Christian York - I haven't seem much of York's work, but from what I did it was impressive. Never saw an interview, so I can't judge on that, but the look and ability merit one of the big three giving him a chance. Johnny Smith - I put Smith in here, because unlike the Japanese wrestlers I figured he'd be willing to give it a go in the States, based on his past work in Stampede and ECW. If he was willing to come back Smith could be a good secondary champ/tag wrestler, possibly higher on the card if he worked in ECW. Smith's a very good "old school" wrestler, that could have great matches with mat wrestlers like Taz (which he has had in the past) and Dean Malenko, but also with high flyers in some nice contrasts of style-type matches. 2 Cold Scorpio - Scorp has had his battle with his personal demons that I'm not going to go into except to say they've held him back. He had a great run in ECW and could have another one if he ever felt like returning. I'm sure he's making good money in Japan, so getting him to return Stateside would cost a nice bit of coin, but Scorpio's a real talent. He could've been huge in the WWF if used properly. 2 Cold has had some strong matches in the past against RVD and Sabu, and with more and more high flyers joining ECW's roster he could really fit once again. Doug Furnas - Furnas is no sure bet to make it big. He had a nice initial run in ECW, then he and Danny Kroffat/Phil LaFon jumped to the WWF and tanked badly. A return in ECW got them a short tag title reign, but not much else. Furnas is a big man with good ability, but not much charisma, however he could get over as a bad-ass powerhouse ala Taz or Goldberg. Again not a sure thing, but worth a look. Bas Rutten - Oh man if the Bas ever wanted to leave shoot-fighting and go into pro-wrestling he could be huge! Bas IMO is the baddest man on the planet. Want proof? Check out his fight in Pancrase against Masa Funaki. Funaki tried to pull Bas in on him, but Rutten realized what was happening and broke the MF's nose with a vicious palm blow! I know he's slowed up recently in the UFC, he's still undefeated there, but most say he really shoud've lost his last fight. But hey Tank Abbott got his ass waxed in his last UFC fight and WCW's was building him up as a bad-ass. Rutten would be a good fit in WCW where he could be the anti-thesis of Goldberg, to quote Chris Benoit, "silent but violent." Have him come in and have a series of short matches, "snapping" jobber's arms, legs, etc. by refusing to release holds, or continuing to kick them when they're out. A quick tap-out win over a legit star like Savage or Sid would build him up until the feud with Goldberg starts. This ! guy could be really huge. There you have it my picks for the next superstars of wrestling. I know I didn't list everyone that could be on the list, just the ones I felt were most deserving. I'm pretty confident that the WWF and ECW will use their wrestlers properly, WCW not convinced until Bischoff and Hogan are long gone. Frank Nieto freelance Mail the Author |
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